Whitehead, United Kingdom
Whitehead is a town of 3,697 people in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Why visit Whitehead
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Blackhead Co. Antrim Lighthouse, Blackhead Lighthouse and Whitehead Railway Museum.
Weather in Whitehead
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Whitehead
Whitehead is a small seaside town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the civil parishes of Templecorran and Islandmagee and the historic barony of Belfast Lower, and is part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Before the Plantation of Ulster its name was recorded as both Whitehead and Kinbaine (from Irish an Cionn Bán 'the white head').
From the Wikipedia article Whitehead, County Antrim (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Blackhead Lighthouse
Lighthouse · 1.2 mi
Lighthouse in Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes13
1 more on the map.
History
In late Victorian and Edwardian times, Whitehead was a seaside holiday destination developed by and travelled from Belfast and the surrounding area each year.
Whitehead is a Victorian railway village with a preserved conservation area, including the railway station. It is home to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, County Antrim Yacht Club and the Council owned Bentra Golf Course, as well as being the starting point for the Gobbins Path.
The town also was home to an aerodrome during the First World War which housed two airships.
An Irish railway engineer called Berkeley Deane Wise took this tourism endeavour to the next level, creating innovative new paid-for attractions that would encourage visitors to use the railway company's services. Just south of Gobbins Path, Wise helped transform the small hamlet of Whitehead into a busy holiday resort. He designed and built a bandstand, ladies and gents bathing boxes, a 'children's corner', a slipway and a pavilion with 500 seats.
Whitehead received a silver at the Britain in Bloom awards in 2005 and 2006, and a bronze in 2007 with the local Brighter Whitehead group planting many of the flowers.
In 2012, Northern Ireland's only Jubilee Wood was planted at Whitehead to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
From the History section of Whitehead, County Antrim on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Whitehead
Education
One primary school exists within the town - Whitehead Primary School. Another school, Lourdes Primary School, operated until June 2011.
Whitehead High School, an all-girls secondary school, was present until its closure in 1986. It is now the site of a nursing home.
From the Wikipedia article Whitehead, County Antrim, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Whitehead
- Clifford RaineyBritish artist
- Stephen HilditchIrish rugby union referee
Born in Whitehead, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship4
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Whitehead
29 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Carrickfergus 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Bangor 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Larne 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Holywood 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Newtownabbey 10 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Newtownards 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Dundonald 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Belfast 14 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- Antrim 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Lisburn 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Whitehead
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Blackhead Lighthouse, Raminder Mulla, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bentra Golf Course, Albert Bridge, CC BY-SA 2.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.